PORTLAND, OR – JELD-WEN Field’s FieldTurf surface has earned FIFA 2-Star recommended status, the Portland Timbers announced today. The field becomes the only FIFA recommended field in the state of Oregon. The Timbers’ home opener was Thursday, April 14, and the pristine new FieldTurf surface was on display as the home team logged its first two wins in Major League Soccer (MLS) in front of sellout crowds over the weekend.
JELD-WEN Field’s FieldTurf surface was installed in March on top of an ‘e-layer,’ which serves as a permanent, elastic shock pad that both reduces the risk of player injury and enhances the quality of game play on the FieldTurf. The field has been designed specifically to mirror elite levels of playing characteristics for soccer. The FieldTurf system has gained recognition within the global soccer community for providing ideal levels of energy restitution, grass-like ball performance and proper shock absorption.
“We have what I believe to be the single-best artificial surface for pro soccer in the United States,” said Merritt Paulson, president of the Timbers. “We thank FieldTurf for all its hard work in creating an exceptional product at JELD-WEN Field.”
“Our turf is designed to outperform the most stringent of testing and has proven to be ideal for the highest levels of soccer competition,” said FieldTurf President Eric Daliere. “We are happy that JELD-WEN Field's FieldTurf surface has passed FIFA's testing. FieldTurf has proven to be the safest surface for a wide variety of sports in the world today.”
About JELD-WEN Field
JELD-WEN Field is an iconic sports and entertainment facility located in the heart of downtown Portland, Ore. at 1844 SW Morrison. JELD-WEN Field will play host to a wide variety of events each year, including Portland Timbers MLS soccer, Portland State University football, college and high school football and soccer, concerts, community events and public and private functions. JELD-WEN Field was opened to the public on April 14, 2011, after a significant renovation crafted to create one of the most unique and authentic soccer environments in the country as the Timbers mark their debut season in Major League Soccer. Originally constructed in 1926, JELD-WEN Field is an historic civic gathering place that has played host to some of the region’s most memorable events, including presidential visits, a 1957 concert by Elvis Presley, the National Football League’s first game decided by overtime, Pele’s official last professional game and the 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup. For more information, visit www.JELD-WENField.com.
About FieldTurf
FieldTurf offers industry-leading engineering and manufacturing resources and leads the synthetic turf industry with regard to setting higher environmental standards. FieldTurf is the global market leader in terms of synthetic sports fields with more than 7000 fields installed. Additionally, FieldTurf has attained more than 15,000 satisfied customers in high quality pet, residential, commercial and municipal landscaping solutions, playground surfacing and has a complete range of golf and tennis products. FieldTurf synthetic turf customers enjoy the benefits of significantly reduced water consumption, the elimination of fertilizer and pesticides, superior durability and drainage and a product that looks and feels real. The positive environmental impact of FieldTurf provides the added benefit of LEED building contributions.
FieldTurf is part of Tarkett Sports, a Division of the Tarkett Group. Tarkett Sports is the largest entity in the sports and landscape surfacing industries. Included within the Tarkett Sports portfolio is an impressive range of performance sports flooring products. This product range includes: synthetic and hardwood basketball; volleyball and gymnasium flooring; squash and racquetball courts; floor protection and covering systems; weight room flooring; and high performance indoor and outdoor running tracks, featuring Beynon and Atlas track surfaces. All Tarkett Sports surfaces are developed, produced and installed with a concentration on sustainability and a commitment to protecting the environment, providing additional LEED contribution opportunities for customers. The company calls this focus on sustainability and the environment ‘Environmental Intelligence’ and all company personnel strive to exemplify this philosophy in all aspects of the business.
For more information, please visit: FieldTurf Artificial Grass & Synthetic Turf Products
